Best Albums of the 1980s

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Listed below are the best albums of the 1980s as calculated from their overall rankings in over 55,000 greatest album charts.

Best albums by year or decade

Decade:

Year:

1980s decade summary

Year	Albums The number of albums from each year featuring in the greatest album charts.	Score Total rank score for each year (made up of the total rank score from all albums in that year)	Top Ranked Album The top ranked album from each year and where it ranks in the overall chart.
1980	2,233	191,573	Remain In Light (26th)by Talking Heads
1981	2,278	119,628	Moving Pictures (155th)by Rush
1982	2,247	147,141	Thriller (71st)by Michael Jackson
1983	2,258	134,097	Murmur (137th)by R.E.M.
1984	2,228	168,138	Purple Rain (75th)by Prince And The Revolution
1985	2,259	142,024	Hounds Of Love (53rd)by Kate Bush
1986	2,374	167,227	The Queen Is Dead (16th)by The Smiths
1987	2,587	159,316	The Joshua Tree (52nd)by U2
1988	2,692	150,392	Daydream Nation (73rd)by Sonic Youth
1989	2,730	193,496	Doolittle (19th)by Pixies
Total	23,886	1,573,034

The best artists of the 1980s were The Smiths, Prince, Pixies, The Cure, Talking Heads, U2, Metallica, Kate Bush, R.E.M. and The Stone Roses.

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991.

Synthesist

Harald Grosskopf

Year of Release:

1980

Appears in:

44 charts

Rank Score:

188

Rank in 1980:

Rank in 1980s:

Overall Rank:

Average Rating:

Comments:

992.

Another Side

Fingers, Inc

Year of Release:

1988

Appears in:

15 charts

Rank Score:

188

Rank in 1988:

Rank in 1980s:

992

Overall Rank:

6,797

Average Rating:

77 (16 votes)

Comments:

993.

Iron Fist

Motörhead

Year of Release:

1982

Appears in:

68 charts

Rank Score:

188

Rank in 1982:

Rank in 1980s:

Overall Rank:

Average Rating:

Comments:

994.

Strange Angels

Laurie Anderson

Year of Release:

1989

Appears in:

36 charts

Rank Score:

188

Rank in 1989:

Rank in 1980s:

994

Overall Rank:

6,809

Average Rating:

72 (44 votes)

Comments:

995.

Falco 3

Falco

Year of Release:

1985

Appears in:

46 charts

Rank Score:

188

Rank in 1985:

Rank in 1980s:

995

Overall Rank:

6,814

Average Rating:

71 (53 votes)

Comments:

996.

Robespierre's Velvet Basement

Nikki Sudden & Dave Kusworth Jacobites

Year of Release:

1985

Appears in:

29 charts

Rank Score:

188

Rank in 1985:

Rank in 1980s:

996

Overall Rank:

6,816

Average Rating:

71 (24 votes)

Comments:

997.

Seasons End

Marillion

Year of Release:

1989

Appears in:

46 charts

Rank Score:

188

Rank in 1989:

Rank in 1980s:

997

Overall Rank:

6,820

Average Rating:

76 (73 votes)

Comments:

998.

Wind

Gigi Masin

Year of Release:

1986

Appears in:

20 charts

Rank Score:

188

Rank in 1986:

Rank in 1980s:

998

Overall Rank:

6,822

Average Rating:

76 (15 votes)

Comments:

999.

The Only Fun In Town

Josef K

Year of Release:

1981

Appears in:

53 charts

Rank Score:

188

Rank in 1981:

Rank in 1980s:

Overall Rank:

Average Rating:

Comments:

1000.

Boomtown

David & David

Year of Release:

1986

Appears in:

24 charts

Rank Score:

188

Rank in 1986:

Rank in 1980s:

1,000

Overall Rank:

6,828

Average Rating:

73 (26 votes)

Comments:

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Total albums: 1,000. Page 100 of 100

Best Albums of the 1980s composition

Year	Albums	%

1980	119	12%
1981	120	12%
1982	107	11%
1983	99	10%
1984	101	10%
1985	81	8%
1986	98	10%
1987	87	9%
1988	93	9%
1989	95	10%

Artist	Albums	%

The Cure	10	1%
Iron Maiden	8	1%
The Smiths	8	1%
Rush	8	1%
The Fall	7	1%
Depeche Mode	7	1%
R.E.M.	7	1%
Show all

Country	Albums	%

	417	42%
	390	39%
	40	4%
	27	3%
	23	2%
	22	2%
	11	1%
Show all

Compilation?	Albums	%
No	967	97%
Yes	33	3%

Live?	Albums	%
No	978	98%
Yes	22	2%

Soundtrack?	Albums	%
No	988	99%
Yes	12	1%

« View best albums of the 1970sView best albums of the 1990s »

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Best Albums of the 1980s
1. The Queen Is Dead by The Smiths
2. Doolittle by Pixies
3. Remain In Light by Talking Heads
4. Disintegration by The Cure
5. The Stone Roses by The Stone Roses
6. The Joshua Tree by U2
7. Hounds Of Love by Kate Bush
8. Thriller by Michael Jackson
9. Daydream Nation by Sonic Youth
10. Purple Rain by Prince And The Revolution
11. Closer by Joy Division
12. Master Of Puppets by Metallica
13. Surfer Rosa by Pixies
14. Rain Dogs by Tom Waits
15. Appetite For Destruction by Guns N' Roses
16. Graceland by Paul Simon
17. Spirit Of Eden by Talk Talk
18. Back In Black by AC/DC
19. Murmur by R.E.M.
20. Moving Pictures by Rush